Minnesota Twins' Danny Santana singles to drive in a run off Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Bryan Shaw in the seventh inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 7, 2014, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Minnesota Twins' Eduardo Escobar (5) races home to score on a sacrifice fly by Brian Dozier in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians Wednesday, May 7, 2014, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco (47) gets a visit from shortstop Pedro Florimon, left, and catcher Kurt Suzuki in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians Wednesday, May 7, 2014, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

CLEVELAND — Before Wednesday night, Eduardo Escobar had played just 13 innings in left field in his brief big-league career.

He probably won’t forget inning No. 22 anytime soon.

Normally an infielder for the Twins, Escobar misplayed Asdrubal Cabrera’s deep fly ball that landed on the warning track in the bottom of the ninth inning. Credited with a double off reliever Casey Fien, Cabrera later scored on Mike Aviles’ two-out single up the middle, giving the Cleveland Indians a 4-3 walk-off win.

Aviles had been 1 for 6 against Fien but caught up to an elevated fastball.

“I went after it 100 percent, as hard as I could,” Escobar said through translator Chris Colabello. “I could tell I was close to the wall, and that’s why I gave it a jump at the end. It was a pretty tough play over there in the corner. Unfortunately it didn’t go in (my glove).”

Two of the first five Indians batters of the night hit line drives to left that Escobar handled cleanly. He also caught Lonnie Chisenhall’s sixth-inning fly with two out and a man on, but Aviles’ fifth-inning double off the wall caromed past Escobar and rolled nearly 50 feet back toward the infield.

“I felt great (in left),” Escobar said, “but obviously the one ball I needed to catch I wasn’t able to.”

The last-place Indians have taken two of the first three games at Progressive Field in this four-game series between American League Central foes, which wraps up Thursday afternoon.

It was Escobar who won Monday’s 10-inning opener with a solo homer, just the fourth of his career. He doubled and scored the tying run in the seventh Wednesday on Brian Dozier’s sacrifice fly.

“We all feel for him because we know he’s done a lot of things we’re asking him to do,” Twins starter Ricky Nolasco said. “I thought he did a great job. He’s been doing a great job in every role we’ve been asking him to do. I still think he had a good bead on that ball. Just one half step — thought he was closer to the wall than he was.”

Nolasco, who received a no-decision despite turning in his second straight quality start, said there was no questioning Escobar’s effort at an unfamiliar spot.

“He’s out there playing hard,” Nolasco said. “That’s all you can ask from your teammates.”

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire opted to give Escobar his first career start at any outfield spot in light of Chris Herrmann’s 4-for-35 (.114) slump to start the year. The manager noted before the game that Escobar regularly takes fly balls for one round of batting practice and often puts in early work in the outfield as well.

Still, there was Twins outfield coach Scott Ullger, 90 minutes before Wednesday’s game, marching Escobar out to straightaway left field and giving him a quick primer during batting practice.

Were the Twins holding their breath all night on balls hit Escobar’s way?

“No, not at all,” Gardenhire said. “He’s played out there a little bit. He does fine. He just didn’t catch that one. It got away from him a little bit. The kid did fine out there other than that play. Experienced guys do the same thing.”

Gardenhire said it looked as though Escobar lost track of the wall as he chased the high fly off Cabrera’s left-handed bat.

“He just didn’t get to it,” Gardenhire said. “I’m sure he shied away from the wall. He’s not been out there a lot. It was going toward the wall over his head, and he got to the warning track and felt that he was a little too close probably.”

Rookie Danny Santana brought home the Twins’ second run with a pinch single in the seventh. Dozier drove in the Twins’ first run with a two-out double in the third off hard-throwing Danny Salazar.

Nolasco struck out a season-high nine across six innings. That gave him 15 strikeouts in 15 innings over his past two starts after fanning 13 during the opening month (five starts).

Pulled at 96 pitches with the score tied, Nolasco just missed giving the Twins their first double-digit strikeout performance since July 18, 2012, when Francisco Liriano struck out 10 Baltimore Orioles.

Since then, the Twins have gone 265 games without a 10-strikeout game. That’s the longest-active drought in the majors, according to STATS LLC.

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